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This 1/12th scale model was constructed to complete the collection of the three main aircraft in the Battle of Britain Flight. It took aound two months to design and approximately 3 months to construct. It is built on a framework of 1/8" thk. plywood formers and balsa wood stringers with the wing and tailplane made from purely balsa wood. Although the Spitfire gained the glory in the Battle of Britain the Hurricane actually shot down more enemy aircraft. The model although it carries the camouflage colours of aircraft based at english bases its squadron markings are those of a Hurricane currently in the Malta Air Museum which was used in the defense of Malta.

The main wing of the model is made up of ribs individually cut from 1/8" thk. balsa sheet and 1/4" x 1/4" balsa strips to complete the basic frame of the wing. The design of the model was very similar to the design of the Spitfire however the retractable undercarriage was very different as the undercarriage of the Hurricane retracts towards the fuselage in line with the wing whereas the undercarriage of the Spitfire retracts outward at an angle to both the wing and the fuselage. Surprisingly the undercarriage of the Hurricane was harder to design because the actuating rods and the undercarriage legs had to be in line with the operating links of the gearbox and also that the operating links had to move slowly necessitating more gearing in the gearbox.

The cockpit canopy was constructed from a piece of 22mm copper pipe split longitudinally and flattened out to form a small sheet. This was then cut into 1/8" wide strips and bent to form the shape of the cockpit. The strips were then soldered together and the joints filed to finish smooth. The slide rails for the canopy were 3/16" x 3/16" aluminium channel sections set into the framework of the fuselage. The air intake below the fuselage houses the battery pack for the 3 volt supply for the retracting undercarriage. The Tailplane and the Tail Fin and rudder were cut from 3/16" balsa sheet and sanded to an aerodynamic profile.

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